Brushfire accident
by Mae'side
Summary: When Arthur finds out about Merlin's gifts, the only way out is to run. But when there's trouble ahead, and Arthur is in danger, his friend will always return to his side. Arthur/Merlin friendship and a lot of suspense. Please review? Final chapter! XO
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Hi everybody! So, here's a new Merlin/Arthur friendship story that will consist of several chapter - don't know how many yet, I'll let my fingers take me there.. The story is set some time after the season finale (about two weeks, I reckon), and it's about Arthur finding out about Merlin's gifts, and Merlin runs. But when Arthur is in trouble, he has to find a way back - somehow.**

**Please tell me what you think? Reviews mean the world to me!**

**Xo, as always**

* * *

Merlin

Merlin looked at the outlines of his self-made hut, which, despite the use of magic, didn't look all that stable. He longed to be back inside the walls of Camelot, living in the attic with Gaius, his small but comfortable bed sheltering him from the harshness of the earth. Gaius had insisted to come with him, but Merlin had shaken his head resolutely and asked the man to stay. Gaius' life was in Camelot, serving the king – keeping Arthur safe from the possible physical aches he might suffer.

Arthur. It hurt Merlin to even think of his friend, knowing the pain he had caused. Arthur might try to act as if he didn't care about Merlin any more than a master would care for his servant, but neither of them bought the act anymore. On the stoney beach of Gedref, Arthur had been willing to lay down his life for Merlin – and when the young boy had been poisoned, it had been Arthur's choice to search for the flower, knowing full well that he would be disobeying his father, yet again. Knowing it was dangerous.

"Sounds like fun." He had said, before mounting his horse and walking straight into a trap, a web spun by Nimueh where her eager friends were waiting. Merlin had been able to sense the danger from miles away and watched in agony as Arthur's hands reached for the flower, knowing he was losing precious time.

This is how Merlin repayed him. Acting on pure instinct, he had protected Arthur from the creature when it came for him, out in the open field. He had felt his own body shift, his hand outstretched towards the animal, and his lips had moved out of their own volition. The assailant had disappeared in a haze of blueish light, but Arthur hadn't even noticed. His gaze had turned to Merlin the moment he had spoken in the language he now was so very fluent at, and his eyes had widened at the sight of his servant, portraying the skills of a most dreaded enemy.

Merlin couldn't bring himself to try and identity the emotion in that gaze, but he had a pretty good idea what it had been. Anger. Hurt. Fear.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." He had quitely mumbled before turning around, breaking into a frenzied run. Arthur never called for him.

If there was one thing Merlin didn't want, it was to put Arthur in _that place_, where he would have to chose between killing Merlin or turning a blind eye and overruling the very law that held his father's kingdom together. So he packed his bags and left a note stating a false explanation for why he could no longer be Arthur's sidekick. Something about his mother being ill, and that he had to go back to her, because she was the only family he had left.

Arthur was like a brother to him.

"You don't _have_ to do this, Merlin." Gaius' voice had been soft, gentle – trying to ease the burden he knew now rested on the young boy's shoulders. It didn't work, it only increased his resentment towards himself. "Maybe there's another way."

He'd shaken his head. "There's no other way out of this mess, Gaius, and you know as well as I do that I could be executed before this day has passed. I won't put Arthur in that place."

"Then I will come with you.."

"No." A hand was placed on Gaius' shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It will make Uther more suspicious, and I can't have your life be questioned as well as mine. Just…" he sighed, defeatedly, "just take care of him until I find a way to come back. Until I'm sure he'll let me."

So now he lay on the soft peat moss, staring through the cracks in his roof, smiling as he saw the small lights in the darkness watching over him. He would be safe here, for a while.

-

Arthur

He hadn't known that there would come a time in his life when he had so much emotion raging in his body that it neutralized his entire being. He felt numb as he sat at his table, watching the faceless nobody serve his meal, placing it in front of him with a deep bow.

"_Promise me something : if you get another servant, don't get a boot licker."_

A boot licker was exactly what he wanted, and exactly what he would get. No one he had ever met in his entire life had called his bluff as often as Merlin had, and no one had ever had the nerve to call him a prat. Much less a royal one.

A small smile appeared around his lips. Merlin had kept him grounded, centered. Merlin was a warlock.

The goofy grin disappeared as quickly as it had come. Merlin had lied to him, in the worst way possible. Despite the fact that he had promised not to. _"I wouldn't lie to you."_

He wondered who the bigger fool was : Merlin, for thinking he could keep his secret from Arthur until the day he died, or himself – not being able to see treachery right in front of his eyes. This had not been, no doubt, the first time his friend had ever practised magic, nor would it be the last. Unless his life were taken from him.

For what seemed the millionth time in his life, Arthur felt the weight of reality crushing him. He had always painted Merlin as the dreamer, the carefree wanderer who had left his home searching for a place where he fit in, but now it seemed that all this time, he had been carrying around a great secret, that he couldn't share with anyone.

The spoon he held in his hand dropped to the floor, and the servant hurried to pick it up. He motioned the boy not to, for all that remained of his appetite had disappeared. There was one person Merlin would have been able to trust at all time, never fearing rejection or imminent death.

Gaius.

-

He stormed into the attic without even bothering to knock, knowing that there wasn't anything he could find there that would surprise him anymore. For goodness sake, all he had been able to uncover the last time he had searched these quarters had been a _cupboard._ Pointing it out to Merlin as yet another reprimand for his clumsiness.

"What I _don't_ understand," he started, his voice rising, "is how he ever deluded himself into thinking I would never find out."

At Gaius' befuddled look, he raised his eyebrows sceptically. "Please don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, physician. I could have you thrown in jail for that simple fact alone."

"My lord." Gaius bowed slightly, meaning to show respect for the young prince, knowing he had earned it, time and time again. "I apologize for the deception, but Merlin's life was…is, at stake. He means very much to me, sire."

"So much you were willing to risk your own life – knowing you could be executed for giving comfort to a young warlock?" The answer was clearly written in the old man's eyes. _Yes._

Arthur shook his head violently. "I don't understand you people."

"Merlin is the son I never had, sire. I couldn't _not_ give him all the comfort I had to offer."

Sure. Well, okay – that made sense, at least. Arthur was glad to discover some sense of logic in all this madness. "…and as his pseudo-father, I suppose you don't have a _clue_ as to where he is at the moment?"

Gaius shook his weary head. "No, I don't. And Arthur, this time you have to believe me, for I am telling you the truth. In his note to you he said he went home to his mother's village, but you and I both know that Ealdor is not the place where he currently resides."

Sick of having people make assumptions about what he did and did not know, Arthur snapped. "And exactly _how_ do we know that, Gaius? Because I don't think I know Merlin anymore. Maybe I never did." He turned his face to the walls, staring up at the small window, looking to the clear, open sky.

"Because that's the first place the executioner would look for him. He fears for his life, and there are many things he has yet to do. Many paths along which he must travel."

"To fit in." Arthur mumbled, hoping the old man's ears weren't what they used to be. Merlin was just looking for a place to fit in, with friends who didn't have the power to end his life at every possible second. Friends like Will, who would accept him as he was, completely. Ending up as Arthur's servant was probably the worst, most dangerous thing that had ever happened to him.

"My father knows nothing of this. I suggest you keep your secret for a little while longer, old man." He stalked out of the room in large strides, needing to feel confident again – needing to feel worthy. He had already neared the door when Gaius spoke up again.

"He asked me to tell you he was sorry. That ending up at your side was the best fortune ever to befall him."

Arthur's fingers touched the hardwood, slowly trailing his hand up and down the door. His head moved from side to side almost unnoticeably, as he struggled to keep the small sigh inside of his chest.

-

Merlin

It was on the fifth night away from home that he finally identified the feeling that had been building up inside of him ever since he had left Camelot. It wasn't merely homesickness that tore inside of his guts, it was the dreaded feeling of something amiss.

The feeling that had been there every single time Arthur had been in danger – it was there, more powerful than ever, when he rode to the isle of the blessed, and it had returned to him this evening.

There was trouble ahead, and he needed to be there to stop it.

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_Please tell me what you think? Please review? If you do, I'll post the next chapter asap._

_Love,_

_Maesíde_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : Hey guys! First of all, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed the first chapter, it really meant the world to me, it really really did. I hope you'll keep on telling me what you think, please?**

**Now, this is VERY IMPORTANT, SO PLEASE READ : when I started this story, I had a certain storyline in my head, but when you really liked the first chapter, I was sort of hesitant to continue with that, because it features some sort of metamorphosis. This would make the writing of the story a little more complicated - it would be a real challenge for me - but also very interesting. But as I said, I don't know if you would like it, and the other way works too. So what I did is : I have put the second version (that's a more 'safe' option, and I like it just the same!) in THIS chapter, and the next chapter will be a 2b, showing what I originally thought of writing. Now, please tell me which version you like best, okay? (what I COULD do is write one story in this version, and start up another story with the more challenging version... Lots of possibilities..) Just tell me what I should do, please? And tell me if you like it, because knowing which version is better isn't enough, I need to know if the version you chose is _good_ as well... **

**Anyway, please let me know? Pleaase?**

**XO, as always**

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Merlin 

"Gwen."

The clanging of the tin jar falling to the floor made him smile. He knew he shouldn't have surprised her like this, but it had been the only way to make sure she was the only one who knew of his presence in Camelot. Well, that's what he'd thought, anyway. The loud crashing sound along with her tiny yelp probably alerted the entire household.

"Merlin," she spoke. "I thought you'd left."

"I had." He amended, walking over to where she was standing to ease the conversation. His stomach clenched together when he saw the emotion in her eyes, and cursed himself for not having picked it up sooner. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving, Gwen. Things were complicated, and I knew you'd see right through all my excuses for why I had to go. I couldn't face you like that."

"Because you didn't trust me?" The heavy hurt in her voice made him cringe inwardly. He had been wrong to leave her like this, without the smallest explanation. But at the time, he'd been fearing for his life, and she would have been able to see the raw pain that drifted on the surface.

He touched her arm, curling his hand around her sleeve, and squeezed slightly. "You're the only one I _can_ trust. That's why I'm here with you now."

"Your mother…she's not ill, is she?"

Merlin shook his head, grateful that she was giving him an opportunity to explain himself. "No, she's not."

"Then why leave?" The ammount of confusion was only building up inside of her, and he could almost see her clouded mind. She was crossing every single possibility off of her list, dismissing it as a lie. "Why did you go from us, Merlin?"

"Something happened…between me and Arthur." She stayed silent, wishing for him to continue, but he couldn't. Not this time. "And I'm so sorry, Gwen, but I can't tell you what it is. Just that it's bad. Really bad."

For the first time since he had entered the lady Morgana's chambers, she gave him a brief smile. "That explains his foul mood, then."

Merlin chuckled, but sobered up immediately. Maybe Arthur was cranky because Merlin had left, but maybe he was silently plotting his revenge, thinking of different ways to make Merlin pay for what he had done. Maybe the search parties had already started the hunt for him, longing for another prey to fall under their command. Thirsty for his blood.

Gwen shook her head, her loose curls bouncing with the movement. "Alright, I get why you had to leave, but now I don't understand the reason for your coming back." She sighed. "You must think I'm awfully dimwitted."

He pulled her into a hug and smiled next to her ear. "As someone who's been called that on a number of occassions, I can confidently say that you're not." He sighed, the heavy exhale tickling the strands of hair next to her ear. She almost felt the need to giggle, but refrained. "I just had a strange feeling that he was in danger."

Pulling back a little, he gave her a cheeky grin. "See?" he said. "Now _you_ think I'm crazy."

Gwen laughed. "We balance eachother well." Pause. "Not that..there's any reason why we _should_ balance this – friendship thing, if that's what you want to call it, I just.. never mind."

Merlin squinted at her, tilting his head in reflection. "I've missed you, Gwen." He really had.

-

Arthur

His presence had been 'requested' at dinner in the great hall this evening, even though his father knew he was not in a mood to be conversational. People had begun to notice, too – dear lord, his servant ducked every time he came near, shuffling away as quickly as he possibly could. Merlin would have called him an outright prat, and he was being one, so he wouldn't blame him.

All that being what it was, it struck him that Gwen was serving their meals this evening. It was a first, and the way she kept on glancing at him from the corner of her eye told him that something was up. He couldn't find it in his heart to glare at her.. not Gwen, whose heart was as fragile as it was rich, and who had never treated him with disrespect or manipulated him into doing something he _truly_ didn't want to. So he beckoned her to come to him, and gave her a soft smile, the first smile he had granted anyone in days. It felt good, the upward quirking of his lips. It felt normal, again.

"Guinevere, will you voluntarily tell me what is going on, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

She started to stumble, tripping over her words in that cute way she did when she was around… _Ah._ Arthur smirked. "Never mind, all you have to do is tell me _where_ he is, exactly, and I promise I'll leave you to your work."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sire."

Arthur grinned. Merlin was lucky to have a friend such a this. A friend. A stabbing pain shot through him, and his mind raced with the things he would say to Merlin if he were here, right now. "Gwen.. Do me a favor, would you? Don't signal me with your eyes, just tell me, and I'll go to him myself."

Gwen sighed. She would never dare to refuse the crown prince anything, even though he was dearer to her than she let show. Arthur was her friend, similar to the way Merlin was. And she would betray his trust by giving his hiding place up to the one person he didn't want to know.

"I promised him I wouldn't, sire."

-

Merlin

He knew there was reason to be alarmed when Arthur motioned for Gwen to come over and smiled at her. His hands desperately clawed at the marble, looking for some loose end to cling to, but all he found was a smooth polished surface. He was gliding downwards toward the cold tiles, and if Arthur found out he was here, he probably would hit rock bottom.

Watching Gwen shake her head sadly, his breath caught. _Gwen. Don't._

He looked on anxiously, staring around the room to try and send her a sign – maybe even knock an object into her head – but no sign would be subtle enough for Arthur to miss. Now that he knew what he was looking for, it wouldn't take too long for him to figure out what had happened, and how that fork had flown through the room and landed right next to Gwen's feet.

Besides, he trusted Gwen with his life. The way he had once trusted Arthur. _No_, he shook his head, _I still trust him with my life, I just don't know if his hatred of magic is strong enough to send me to my grave. I just don't know if I've lost his trust, forever._

He angled his forehead to rest against the pillar and let out a deep sigh, feeling his warm breath bounce right off the cool stone cilinder.

"So, your mother has made a _miraculous_ recovery, I presume?"

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_Please tell me what you think? Xo, as always!_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N : Hi guys! I'm so so sorry it took me this long, but I've been really caught up in finals, and they only finished yesterday - so ta da! The next chapter is here. I decided to go with the first scenario, with the possibility of taking the metamorphosis storyline to another story - because I still think it has potential, and I've heard some of you agree with me.**

**Anyway, pleaaaase let me know what you think? I see some of you have put the story (or me) on alert - and I'm so so happy that you want to stick with this story, but oh - reviews mean the world to me, and I would really love some.**

**XO, as always**Merlin

* * *

Merlin whirled around to where the voice had come from, and bowed his head slightly, submissively, when he was faced with the King's disapproving gaze. "Y - yes, sire," he stumbled. "She's much better now, thank you."

Uther shook his head slightly. "I care little for her life – as I care about yours. And I certainly hope you haven't returned to Camelot in the hopes of having your old job back." He paused, wanting to make sure the tension had built to the ammount where one word, spoken by him, could silence the foolish servant forever. "It's been taken."

Merlin opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again before any sound escaped his lips. Because really, what was there to say? If he disobeyed the king, he would no doubt end up in the stocks, or locked away in the dungeons and be denied food for at least a week. And Arthur's life would be in grave danger without Merlin there to protect him.

"I'll handle this, father."

Merlin froze. Arthur had sneaked up on the both of them, slowly nearing from behind – and he was reminded of the prince's list of what it took to be a great hunter : speed, stealth, and an agile mind. The young servant possessed none of those qualities, and certainly not now. Everything inside of him tensed, and he swore he could _hear_ the rushing of his blood.

"Arthur." Uther's smile spread around his lips, and it was one of these few moments when Merlin realised that he really did care about his son – one moment he dared to hope that Uther would spare his life when finding out about all the times his magic had actually saved Arthur, rather than trying to destroy him. "Your former servant had returned to the realm, it seems."

"I can see, father. I'll return to dinner in a second, but you go ahead." It was a silent order given to the King, and for a split second Merlin wondered if he was going to obey it. After all the times Arthur had disobeyed his father, it wouldn't be strange to assume that his father would return the favor. But something in his voice must have sounded as a warning to the man, for he turned on his heel and walked back into the dining room with large strides, making his position known to the world.

And still, Merlin didn't dare turn around and face him. His shoulders, rigid and tense were nearly drawn up to the level of his chin and his feet were rooted to the ground. This time, he _could_ distinguish the sound of the heavy footsteps to the floor, and when the vision of his friend came into sight, he wasn't surprised to see a blank face – devoid of any kind of emotion. If Arthur was happy to see him, he certainly didn't let it show.

He didn't yell at him either, for he didn't even speak. Arthur just stared at him, the harshness slowly coming to his features. His brow furrowed and his eyes flashed with something Merlin couldn't place, but the rigidness of his jaw betrayed his anger.

"You want to know why I came back." It wasn't even a question that escaped his lips, it was a statement. He hadn't even noticed he had spoken until Arthur returned the statement with one of his own.

"I'm not sure I want to know anything about you."

"I can understand that," Merlin acknowledged, his mouth drier than it had ever been. If Arthur turned him away now, there was no possibility of ever regaining his trust – his good opinion once lost was lost forever – and he would surely die before this month had passed. _Please,_ he pleaded silently. _Let me be there to protect you._ "But still, I'm asking you to trust me."

Arthur shook his head violently, but Merlin didn't give up – Merlin _wouldn't_ give up. He took a step closer and tried to persuade the prince to give their friendship another chance. "I'm asking you to trust me, the way you did when I warned you about Valliant, and when I took the goblet from your hands to drink it myself. I didn't let you down then, so believe me when I tell you that I won't let you down this time around."

"The only way you knew of their evil is because you practise it yourself." His voice was a low rumble that came from deep inside his chest, near the place where Merlin had wounded him. "How am I supposed to trust you, when you lied to me this entire time? How am I supposed to believe that anything you tell me is truthful?"

"Because it just is!" His voice sounded desperate, and it struck something inside of Arthur. _Damn it_, he cursed, _he couldn't turn away._ He couldn't forgive his friend – not just yet – but he at least owed it to him to be able to prove him wrong. "Be at work tomorrow – bright and early."

"Yes." It was barely a whisper, but the impact of the one word was just as great as the needy cry for trust. "Thank you."

-

Arthur

"Arthur.." Gwen had whispered, the fear as evident in her voice as the blue was to the sky. Her eyes had fixed on something in the near distance, and he followed them to where his father was standing, tall and proud, his lips moving as he spoke to a hidden partner. _So Merlin hadn't been that far off to begin with._ A small sigh escaped his lips as he debated whether to save this particular prey from the clutches of his father's wicked claws, or to just let him stew for a while. Maybe Merlin deserved whatever his father handed to him.

…and maybe not.

"Excuse me, for a minute."

Gwen smiled slighty, and it seemed as if she were almost _proud_ of him. "Sure."

Arthur felt the need to inwardly roll his eyes at her antics, but he just drew his lips into a thin line, not wanting to smile at her – not wanting to grant the hope that Merlin and he would actually be _alright_ with eachother, that everything could be forgiven and forgotten. He wasn't prone to forget – some things lost could never be regained.

Deep inside of him, he felt that this wasn't one of them. But he had a right to be angry, and he would fully exercise that right.

-

His servant had laid out his clothes when he got out of bed the next morning, and he was momentarily taken aback. He'd forgotten the young man was even there and hadn't even given him any thought when he rehired Merlin. This servant was all right, he was eager to always please his master and Arthur knew that he needed the money to look out for his wife and their new born babe. Sacking him would be unfair.

So he let the man dress him, clasp the armour around his shoulder and fasten the bracelets on his wrists. Merlin came in just when they were finished, and his eyes betrayed the shame he felt when he saw someone had taken his place.

Arthur cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness, yet it did nothing to improve the atmosphere. "Merlin, walk with me."

Merlin

Sure, he supposed it was only natural that Arthur didn't sack his servant just for his sake, but he couldn't help feeling a stab of jealousy when he noticed the man had begun his chores for the day – the chores _he_ was supposed to be doing. More than that – he felt inadequate. There was no doubt in his mind that this man was a better servant than he, no doubt at all that he would be completing every task with the utmost precision. Yet, he concluded, there was no way that this servant was as loyal to Arthur, as _connected_ to Arthur, than he was himself.

In a way, though, it was once again proof of Arthur's pure goodness and of his gentle character. Gwen had been right at Arthur's coming of age ceremony. Merlin was more proud of Arthur than he ever dared to admit out loud.

They walked together, silently, and Merlin wondered when the day would come when the silence didn't weigh so heavily between them. But the ball lay in Arthur's side of the court, and it was up to him to pick it up and smash it back.

"How many times have you saved my life without me knowing?"

Bragging wasn't something Merlin wanted to do – in fact, he felt it was his duty not to. And really, he felt there were a lot of times when he'd screwed up, as well. So he merely shook his head. "On occasion."

Arthur came to a full stop and turned to him, almost as if he couldn't believe Merlin wouldn't fess up to his accomplishments. "Merlin, if there was ever a time bragging was allowed, it's _now_."

"That's not what I'm after, not at all. I don't save your life because I want the credit, Arthur. I try to protect you as best I can because I'm your friend – and I need to be there for you."

The prince rolled his eyes. "_Really, Merlin. _How _noble _of you." He taunted, and Merlin realized that maybe Arthur didn't already feel what he had all along : that they were connected, inexplicably so. Of course, Arthur hadn't befriended the all-knowing dragon his father had caged, who had thrown the reality of it all in Merlin's face. The young sorcerer had been forced to face the facts – Arthur needed to find them out on his own.

They had started marching again, out to the courtyard, nearing the stables – and still Merlin had no idea as to what Arthur needed of him. Not up until the moment Arthur threw him a brush and motioned to his horse. _Right. Brushing._ He pulled open the door to the box and walked towards the animal, setting it at ease by drawing his hand along its slender neck. He drew the brush against it, up and down – up and down, a steady rhythm, while waiting for Arthur to speak again.

He leaned against the opened door and looked on, a quizzical look on his face. Eventually he exhaled heavily. "You don't want to tell me? Fine. Keep your secrets. There's only one thing I need to know."

Merlin shifted his gaze and smiled slightly. "One thing." He amended.

"When you were poisoned and I rode to the forest of Balor – you knew I was in danger, didn't you?"

"Yes." He had felt the danger in his very bones – every part of him, poisoned or otherwise, had alerted him what his friend was facing.

"And it was you who sent the light to guide me."

Merlin smiled again. "That's the second thing you're asking, your grace."

"Merlin.." Arthur warned. It was no time to mess with him, but Merlin couldn't let it slide – it was too _tempting_ to tease Arthur, and he had hoped that in doing so, some of the ease with which they used to converse would return.

He turned to the horse, grateful for the distraction, and leaned his forehead against the animal, feeling its whole body move in breathing. "Yes." He eventually said. "That was me."

"But you were unconscious. You were _dying_, Merlin. Where on earth did you find the strength to – does it come that easily to you?"

He shook his head. "It's not always easy – I could… I mean I couldn't do it that easily, at that time – but I knew I needed to, because you needed to be okay."

"You really _are_ keen to die for me, aren't you? You're an idiot, Merlin."

He smiled. "Yeah – I've been told that a lot."

* * *

_So? Please tell me what you think? Pleaaase? _

_XO, as always_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N : Hey guys! I want to thank every single one of you for reading and reviewing the last chapter -- it really really means the world to me. I really hope you'll like this chapter as well, and please please review again? It makes my day, my week, my year!**

**Xo, as always**

* * *

Merlin

"MERLIN!"

Merlin groaned in his sleep, pulling the pillow over his head to drown out the voice that was shouting at him. _Five more minutes_, he begged. _I'll get up in five, I promise._ But the intruder wouldn't have any of that – oh no. Suddenly, his blanket was drawn away from him which caused him to curl up into a tight ball and shiver. "Wha-?"

Arthur pulled the pillow from his face and poked him in the side – making his eyes snap open and a small yelp escape his lips. "Arthur – what are you doing?" His eyes darted to the window and noticed the pitch black of night was still reigning the sky. "Do you know it's the middle of the night?"

"There's a voice," Arthur angrily pointed at his head, before continuing, accentuating every word by speaking it slowly, deliberately. "inside – my – head ! If that's you, I swear I'm going to wack you without thinking twice."

Merlin moved slowly, raising himself so he sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at Arthur with an confused expression. "Well, does it _sound_ like me?"

Arthur's mouth twitched. "No."

"Then why do you think _I _have something to do with it?" Really, people might call him an idiot, but Arthur certainly had his moment of pure idiocy as well. Merlin drew a hand over his face while waiting for his words to sink in.

"Because _you're_ the only one I know who can do - - you know." Arthur explained. The word _magic_ still hadn't been spoken between the two of them – even after a week since his return. They were afraid that when it finally fell, something would shatter – be torn apart. And despite Arthur's anger, he didn't want that.

"Right." Merlin bit his lip. A thought came to him, and he tilted his head in wonder. "Does the voice sound like a … deep, slow drawl… like _Aaaarthuuur?_ And does it sound like it's coming from somewhere inside the castle?"

"Oh, fantastic." Arthur sneered. "You've got _friends_."

His servant only glared at him. "I wouldn't call him my 'friend', exactly."

"Then what _would_ you call him?"

Merlin bit his lip, knowing the next words he spoke weren't going to be happily received. "the great..dragon?"

-

Arthur

"_I can't believe I'm doing this." _It was a mantra repeating over and over in his mind, as he thudded down the steps with a torch in his hand. Still, if it made the annoying voice in his head stop – if all it took was to scamper on to the dungeons and yell at some mythical creature to leave him alone, that's what he'd do.

Of course, Merlin had declined his order to join him, claiming that the dragon and he hadn't parted on good terms the last time they had spoken. Probing hadn't gotten anything else out of him and – damn it, he knew he had told Merlin to keep his secrets, it was probably best that way – but sometimes he wished he wouldn't.

How could he trust Merlin when he never told him anything?

"Show yourself." His voice echoed inside the cave, and for a minute he thought merlin had sent him on a fool's errand, that there was no one here. _Idiot._ But then the clapping of heavy wings filled the entire cave, and he swallowed hard when the dragon landed right in front of him. Christ, he hadn't thought it was this - - large.

"You are as talented at ordering people about as is expected of you, young Pendragon." The dragon looked at him oddly, almost as if he were sizing him up, trying to figure out how best to manipulate him. But still, Arthur figured he had the upper hand, for it was his own father who had caged the animal, and it was in his power to set it free.

"Well, yes." He replied calmly, a sarcastic tone underlying his answer. "It comes with the job."

"It is not the only thing that you carry with you."

Arthur cursed silently. If there was one thing he couldn't deal with, it was riddles – it had been proven at the labyrinth, and it was as clear as day when he stood inside this darkened cave. Frustration reared its head. "I do _not_ have time for riddles, creature – I just came to tell you to stop invading my thoughts." Pause. "It's annoying."

A grin spread on the dragon's face, its mouth opening to flash a great row of teeth. It occurred to the young prince that at any moment, the dragon could snap and attack him, and his hand instinctively went to the sword at his side. "I fear it was the only way to get you to come. It was the same with your servant, yet he didn't need to call for advise before coming to me."

Arthur huffed. _Merlin was too naive for his own good_. "What is it you want of me?"

"I want to warn you." The dragon unfolded his wings before bringing them back to his side. "Danger is lurking in the near future – and I am not the only one who senses it. It _is_, after all, the reason Merlin came back for you. You are connected in ways you have yet to discover, young prince."

So that was the reason Merlin had returned. _"You want to know why I came back."_ He remembered his reply, and inwardly cringed. _"I'm not sure I want to know anything about you."_ Merlin had feared for his life, but had apparently thought Arthur's safety more important than his own, and had dared to return to the castle.

".. and when the challenge arrives, it is not only your life that will be threatened."

His head snapped. "Who else is in danger?"

The dragon leaned closer to him, and Arthur instinctively stepped back. The great brown eyes were hidden from him when the animal blinked slowly, and they seemed lighter than before when it spoke again. "I think you _know_ who I'm talking about. An accident will come to pass, and the use of dark magic will make his chances of survival slim."

Arthur sighed impatiently. "And_ when_ exactly will this accident come to pass?"

"That, you have to find out on your own." The dragon foretold. He let out a deep rumble of a laugh and moved his head slowly. "I know what you're thinking, young Pendragon."

"I doubt it." Arthur's mouth slid to the right, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep his temper in check. "I'm actually thinking how _crazy_ Merlin is to have friends like you, who never tell you a bloody thing."

"Ah. But you see, Arthur – I am not Merlin's friend…I am his kin," the low voice explained.

"Some screwed up family." Drawing his sword, he pointed it menacingly at the dragon. "Stay out of my head, or I swear I will have my father destroy you." As he walked away, feeling as if he had made his point, he was stopped by the last thing the dragon told him.

"Remember, sire, that he who holds the blade does not always wield the sword." Arthur shook his head and ran up the pathway.

-

Merlin

He paced his chamber while waiting for Arthur to return. Over the last week or so, he had been doing chores for his master, different than the ones he had the other servant do. It made Merlin wonder how he had ever managed to do all of them on his own, but in the end he realized that it was just Arthur's way to make sure everyone still had a job. Merlin was thankful, for it meant that he was being given a second chance – it meant that Arthur still hadn't made his mind up yet. While he was hanging in limbo, he would have a chance to explain everything properly, and keep his friend safe while he was at it.

Arthur entered the room, a grim look on his face. Merlin supposed it was to be expected : in a way, this encounter had been two alpha males facing off – Arthur didn't like to be thrown in a loop and the dragon did anything _but_ be straight forward. Still, it was unsure exactly _how _bad it had been.

"So, how was it?"

"Well," Arthur began. "I met your greatuncle."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "He fed you that _"I'm his kin"_ story as well, did he?" He shook his head. "We're not family, even though we're a bit alike."

Arthur frowned, a small smile spreading around his lips. "I might be mistaken, but I haven't noticed any wings or scales yet."

He chuckled. "We both come from…" he fell short, unsure whether Arthur wanted him to go on or not. When the prince raised his eyebrows in a meaningful way, he took a deep breath and continued. "…from the old religion."

Confusion reigned in Arthur's features. "But the old religion died out."

"Apparently, it's still very much alive." Merlin lowered himself to the edge of his bed and looked at Arthur, gladly using this opportunity to explain himself further. "I've been able to move things since before I could speak, Arthur. I can't help it – and it's not _bad_. Someone once told me that magic isn't one way or the other, it's how you use it."

Arthur stuck out his chest. "Well, I suppose saving my life is a pretty good purpose for it." He walked around the bed until he faced Merlin head on. "Show me."

"Your life's not in danger _at this very second_, Arthur, showing you how to save it is a little difficult." Arthur gave him a poignant look, and Merlin grinned. "_Oh_, you mean _the moving stuff_?_"_

He looked around for an object and his gaze came to rest on one of his boots. A flash of gold appeared in his eyes and the shoe immediately flew in their direction. "It's how I beat you that first time when we were 'practicing our mace work'."

Had this been any other situation, Arthur would have made sure Merlin understood that he in fact _hadn't_ beaten him in a fight, because the fight hadn't been fair to begin with, but this time, he remained completely still. Not even a nerve twitched.

"I need to think about this," he eventually said, and made move to leave. "in the meantime, you can polish my armour, _by hand. _" He paused, and turned to Merlin. "The fact that _I _know is dangerous enough, you can't risk anyone else finding out."

"I won't."

-

Arthur

The next day, the long announced visit of his cousin finally took place. He stood next to his father in the throne room, his eyes trained on the large wooden doors while he waited for his long lost family member to pass through them. Yet something didn't sit right with him. Last night's conversations – both with the dragon and with Merlin – had kept him up the rest of the night, and wondering the entire day's length.

_"It is not only your life that will be threatened. … It is, after all, the reason Merlin came back for you."_

_"I've been able to move things since before I could speak, Arthur. I can't help it – and it's not bad."_

The doors opened and his cousin walked in, a large grin on his face. Arthur immediately mirrored the expression - - it had been a long time since he had seen his cousin Grady, and they had been good friends in their childhood. All thoughts of danger momentarily wiped from his mind, he waited patiently for Grady to greet the king in a proper manner before pulling him into a hug. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," Grady replied. "I've missed the pranks we used to pull."

Behind them, someone cleared their throat and though Arthur didn't see – Grady's face clouded momentarily as he remembered whose company he was in. "I apologize for the lack of manners," he explained. "This is lord Ulrich. My guardian."

Lord Ulrich looked every inch the respectable man, and Arthur shook his hand with a tight grip, knowing the gesture and strength would be returned. "My father and I welcome you to Camelot, my lord."

"I thank you. I have heard many tales of the wonders of Camelot…" his gaze swept around the room, taking in every face, every piece of armour and every possible threat. When his eyes found Merlin, they rested there for a while, before grimacing. "…and of those who live there."

_Emrys,_ he thought darkly. _This might pose to be a problem._

_

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_

_So? Please tell me what you think? Pretty please review?_

_XO, as always!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : Hi you guys! Aaaah, I'm so happy that you liked the last chapters, your reviews really meant the world to me - - really really really!! Now, please tell me what you think of this chapter.. Yes, I am aware that there are less Arthur/Merlin bits in this chapter than usual, but I will fix that in the next chapter, which I will start writing as soon as I post this one (I'm on a roll tonight!).**

**Please tell me what you think? Please review?**

**Xo, as always**

* * *

Merlin

"I don't like this," Gaius murmured next to him, silently enough so only he could hear, and for some reason, it would appear to anyone who saw the moving of his lips, as if he were talking to himself aloud. "At all," he added as an afterthought.

Merlin leaned a little closer to him, positioning his weight on his left foot and his upper body falling slightly to the side. His eyes never left the scene that was unfolding in front of him - - though the feeling of danger hadn't grown since the arrival of the two strangers, it hadn't lessened either, and Arthur's life needed his constant guarding. "Why?" he whispered. "Who are they?"

"There's nothing wrong with the cousin, that I know of – but the man who's with him isn't a stranger to this court, even though he tries to make it _seem_ that way." When Uther's gaze momentarily tore away from his guests and swept through the room, Gaius was silent. "He was once a suitor of the late Queen Ygraine before she held that title."

"And in the end she chose Uther?"

Gaius nodded. "Ulrich hadn't been heard from since, and though the King himself may be oblivious to his wife's old acquaintances, I am not." A small smile appeared around his lips. "The lady Ygraine was kind to me… she trusted in me." He sighed heavily. "I'm afraid that in some way, I might have influenced her decision."

"No, no." For the first time since their conversation had started, Merlin turned to Gaius and looked him straight in the eye. He raised his voice slightly, trying to convince the man who was more of a father to him than anything else, that he hadn't been at fault in any way. "Without Ygraine no Arthur – and without Arthur no future Camelot… and my destiny would be of no use at all. At least I have a purpose now, despite the fact that 'my other half' still isn't sure if he can trust me."

The older man motioned for him to be silent. "We'll attract attention, Merlin. I know indeed it is very difficult for you to keep a low profile, but try not to make yourself known to Ulrich the very second he walks in."

Merlin smiled a little at Gaius' hidden reprimand, and took it upon him to study the Lord's every movement, hoping for a way to discover if _he_ was the danger he had been alerted to. "So do you think he's here to take revenge on Uther? For killing any chance he might have had with Ygraine?"

"That, I am not sure of. But we had better sleep with one eye open."

-

Grady

"I thought it would be harder than this." Grady took his clothes out of his backpack, before placing them in the cupboard. Well, stuffing them in there, actually. He had never been one for tidyness, and at the age of 21 years old, he wasn't about to start. "Seeing Arthur again, I mean. It's been a long time since we'd seen eachother, and I had feared some of the ease would have disappeared."

His guardian glanced at him from the corner of his eye, taking in every detail of the boy's posture, analysing every quirk of the lips, every higher note in his tone. "It's going to be important that he trusts you." The man answered his protegé. "But I hope you haven't forgotten our purpose here. We did _not_ come to Camelot to reminisce about past adventures, Grady. We must not stray from our plan."

Grady nodded, his features sadder than they had been before, but accepting and confident all the same. "I understand. We've worked too hard at this."

"And I'm afraid we must work a little harder yet."

The young man's head snapped into his guardian's direction, a questioning look in his eyes. "What do you mean? Has Uther a clue as to who you really are?"

"No." Ulrich explained. "But it seems our young prince has made himself a special friend." He walked over to the window and watched the servant cross the courtyard, in the direction of the armoury. "A known sorceror, more powerful than even he realizes himself. If his loyalty to Arthur is as great as foretold, he will certainly stand in our way."

"And if that happens, we'll…" Grady watched as a dark cloud passed over the familiar face, and having seen it in the past, he knew it would come to no good.

"We must always eliminate a threat, my son." Ulrich told him. "No matter the consequences."

-

Arthur

"He's my _cousin_, Merlin. He deserves my trust just by being connected to me in that way." He couldn't believe it. The first good thing that happened – the visit of his cousin had triggered joy inside of him – ever since he had found out about Merlin, and here the latter was, trying to shatter his happiness after only a few hours.

Merlin continued, exasperated. "I'm not telling you _not_ to trust your cousin, Arthur. I'm not! All I'm saying is that you should beware where his guardian is concerned. He holds a grudge against your father _and _Camelot. Maybe the danger that's coming _is_ Lord Ulrich. There's a definite possibility of that."

"Because, _as you say_," Arthur's hand cut through the air, moving in circles to express his wariness of Merlin's intelligence. "He was in love with my mother, who chose my father instead." He frowned angrily. "Where do you get this stuff?"

"Gaius. He's been around this court and its occupants for a long time, Arthur. He _knows_ things that we do not."

"All right, then who's to say that _Gaius_ isn't a potential threat to me? As you say, Merlin – he _knows_ things, things that could destroy the kingdom if he wanted to. And as I remember, he knew a _lot_ of things about evil sorcerers. Maybe he's one himself." He felt himself spinning, trying desperately to grasp at something solid, feeling as he had in the darkened cave in Balor, never being fast enough, or strong enough. Not clever enough to discover that the woman had been evil.

Merlin pulled a face that portrayed his pure confusion at this distrust. "Really, Arthur? Gaius, the physician who has nursed you back to health a million times, who fought time to keep you alive? After twenty years he suddenly decides to turn against you."

"Well, he could…" Arthur's arm swung upward, before falling back to his side. He sat down on his bed and held his head in his hands. "You're right, I'm sorry. Gaius didn't deserve to be spoken of that way. He has been there for my family ever since I can remember and he deserves my respect." He drew his hands over his face while inhaling deeply, breaking up the sound of it by the slide of his fingers. "It's just that I can't stand the fact that lately, everything _good_ in my life seems to be – in fact – life threatening. First there's you, then my the possibility of my cousin's guardian and/or my cousin himself.. it's just too much. "

"You count me among the _good_ things in your life?" Merlin gave him a cheeky grin. "Thanks." He happily said.

Arthur threw his pillow at him. "Shut up, Merlin. Besides, I'm still waiting to find out if whatever I think of you should be described in past or present tense. We'll have to wait to find out." Pause. "But," he amended. "I'll think about what you said about Lord Ulrich."

"Try not to let show that you know of his past life here. It may set him off."

"Right."

-

Merlin

"Right." Gwen started, staring wide-eyed at the stack of documents laying in front of them, which was as high as a small pup. "It's not that I mind abandoning my duties to help you Merlin, but I just don't see the point. If he's Arthur's kin, then why is he a possible suspect?"

"Sh." Merlin pressed a finger to his lips and gestured with his eyes towards Geoffrey, the keeper of said documents. "It's not _Grady_ we're investigating, it's his guardian. Something doesn't sit right with me about him, and if there's anything that should worry us, I need to know about it."

She smiled sweetly. "You take this _protecting Arthur_ job awefully serious, don't you?"

Her friend tilted his head. "Well, I'm his friend, and I think he still cares about that, even after what happened between us. I can't let anything happen to him, Gwen. He's like my brother."

With a playful sigh, she opened the first stack of papers. "Alright," she said. "Let's do it."

-

Arthur

"You've gone soft." Grady grinned at him. "In the old days, you wouldn't have someone like _that_," he motioned towards the long, slender figure of the stumbling boy, "go by without poking fun at him."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, well – unlike _some people_, I've matured into a responsible adult." Yet there was a glint in his eyes that spoke of other things. He was reminded of the first time he and Merlin had met, and how he had teased him about his knee walking. God, the fool was still as clumsy with a mace as ever, despite all the hours they had trained using the weapon. Unless, of course, he cheated by moving objects with only his thoughts. He shook his head in wonder.

"Oh yeah?" Grady wiggled his eyebrows before reaching to the ground and retrieving a rotten tomato that lay beside the stacks. With a small laugh, he hurled it towards the boy, and when the splash could be heard, both he and Arthur ducked behind the old cart, holding their breaths.

"You're a bad boy, Grady Dumare." Arthur pointed his finger at his cousin menacingly, but just received a smile in return. "As if _you're_ any better, prince Arthur."

-

Grady

The minute the words left his mouth, he felt like vomiting. _Prince_ Arthur. Wasn't that the reason why he was here in the first place? He felt bad about betraying his cousin like this, but after all he'd been through – all he'd _seen_ and _heard_, the future of Camelot needed to rest with someone who was capable of being King, someone who didn't follow his father's every command and whose politics and beliefs were grounded on true things. Uther had destroyed his beloved aunt by having her birth a child, and he would not have Arthur do the same to Camelot.

_He_ would be a fair ruler, a just king. He would turn this kingdom upside down and destroy the archaic institutions. By force, he would invade the outlying kingdoms and make them bend to his will. He would unite the lands under his command and all would be well.

But before that could happen, the present monarchy needed to be brought down.  
_For justice,_ he thought, _for Camelot._

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_So, please tell me what you thought? Please review? It means the world to me!_

_Xo, as always!!_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N : Aaaah, thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter -- you are all so amazing, a girl is lucky to have you reading her story! Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't post the next chapter yesterday, but I didn't "feel" it at that time... So I wrote this chapter today, and I really hope you'll like it, because I'm kind of unsure about some of it...**

**Please please review? It really means the world to me! (I know I keep on repeating myself, but no other words can express it! - unless you guys have any original ideas? -- smiles -- )**

**Xo, as always**

* * *

Arthur

"Do you ever think about your father?" Arthur leaned on his arms, bare flesh scraping against the roughness of the stone that held together the walls of their castle, protecting it from enemies. _Enemies…_ those who would stand at the gates with a thousand soldiers in tow and make their intentions of war known to you. This time around, he felt as if he were fighting a mere shimmer, always in the darkness. His arms were flailing around wildly, in the hope of striking something solid, but all he found was cold air that made him shiver.

Merlin pressed his back against the structure and slid down, looking up at Arthur from his position on the floor. "Not really –" he said, plucking at the blade of grass pressed between his fingers. "Everything I needed to learn, I learned from my mother and Gaius, but – yeah, I guess some part of me still wonders who he was. And why he left." Suddenly, he understood where Arthur was going with this.

"Is this about your mother?"

Arthur shook his head sadly, the movement laced with regret. Squinting against the soft sunlight, he turned around and sat down next to Merlin, ignoring the baffled gasp when he stole the grass and started to roll it between his own fingers. No one could see them up here, and despite the fact that everything hadn't been resolved, it felt good to just sit here, together. "It just makes you wonder why she chose my father."

Merlin kept quiet, knowing it was what Arthur wanted - what he needed. He was grateful. "I've watched the guy…" Arthur glanced at him sideways, meeting his gaze briefly. "…and it's like he doesn't feel _anything_ at all. Maybe he's always been like that, but maybe she _made him _this way." He clenched his jaw, a mixture of anger and incertainty filling him up, all the way.

"From everything I've heard about your mother, I don't think she was the kind of person who would intentionally hurt someone that badly. Not if there was any other way around it."

"I haven't visited her grave in years." He sighed, cast his eyes downward in shame. "She gave her life for mine. I mean, the very least I could do is go see her every once in a while, right? What kind of son doesn't even…?" His voice faltered. He had never felt this particular burden weigh so heavily upon him. All throughout his life, his mother's death had been pushed to the back of his reality, and no one ever spoke of her.

The guilt ate away at him.

Merlin

"Maybe you're like me…" Merlin tried, knowing it would elicit a snarky comment. Which would actually feel good, for a change. He needed to get him of this rut, make him face the issue and overcome it. The fact that Arthur was letting him in like this meant he still valued their friendship, though he would probably never admit to it, and Merlin had to be the friend Arthur needed right now, to help him through it all.

"Highly unlikely." Arthur mumbled, but his heart wasn't in it this time. The fatigue that had come over him was apparent in the circles underneath his eyes, and the way he rubbed his fist against them, wishing for them to disappear.

"… graves creep me out. And it's not that I never think of those I loved who've have left this world, it's just that I can't _bear_ to know that they're in _there_, nothing more than an empty shell of who they once were."

He made move to lay his hand on Arthur's arm in reassurance, but left it hanging in the air between them, mere inches away from his skin. When Arthur noticed, he tilted his head in a silent question, and Merlin felt lost, not being able to come up with an answer. Letting his fingers fall back to his side, he placed them around his knees, pulling them against his body.

"You're not a bad son." he continued confidently, trying to get Arthur to see the truth. "And even if you feel like you have been, there is no way she would blame you for it – because she's your mother, Arthur. And you're in no way to blame for what happened to her."

He knew he had struck a chord when Arthur suddenly stood, his throat moving from swallowing hard, and he spoke. "We're going off subject."

Arthur

He looked out to the courtyard, that had once been filled with people, but now lay abandoned and silent amidst the dirty white buildings – trying to compose himself. "We're going hunting tonight."

Arthur grinned when he heard Merlin groan in discontent. "Do I _have_ to? You know I don't like it when we go."

"Guess what, Merlin?" He flicked his servant in the head playfully, teasing his friend. Sometimes, he felt as if Merlin was his kid brother, who he needed to look out for without being too overbearing. He hadn't told Merlin of the dragon's warning, and wanted to keep him close by just in case. "…sometimes, people have to do things in life that they don't like to do. It builds character and muscle, making you a big, strong boy." Arthur looked at Merlin's scrawny features, then laughed. "In any case, it doesn't hurt to try."

Merlin glared at him, before sighing defeatedly. "When do you need me?"

-

Grady

He walked the hallways confidently, making his fingertips skid against the walls, touching every bit of the castle that he could. He needed to familiarize himself with every dent, every brick and every fiber of this place, and needed to make himself known to it as the new occupant. _It was working,_ he happily thought as he imagined the warmth spreading through his body and the surface, _it was as if his own life juice now streamed through the veins of this place. The wonders he would do._

His hand curled around the doorknob he had searched for, feeling the pulsating warmth quicken. Rapping against the wood, he heard a weak voice tell him it was okay to enter. Being faced with a man he had not met before, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," he said " I'm looking for Arthur, do you know where he is?"

"No." The voice was hard, angry, and Grady nearly felt ashamed for what he might have said that was so wrong. "You should ask his _other_ servant." The man bit out. "He knows _loads_ more than I do about 'my' master."

_Ah._ "That's odd." Grady took a few steps closer, reveling in the anger that made the air crackle and swirl. He could use this to his advantage. "I've never heard of a prince having two man servants before."

"That's because it's rubbish." With a force that made the tabletop shake, Belior's hand cupped all the filth that lay there and wiped it into the bucket used especially for that purpose. "He only has one servant. I'm his _maid._"

Grady shook his head, pretending to be outraged. "That's not right. You deserve as much credit as the other guy – _more_, even. After all, you're the one cleaning up his mess, are you not?" Sitting down on Arthur's newly made bed, he watched as shoulders tensed and hands shook. "How about I offer you a job that's more worthy of you?"

Belior laughed bitterly. "You have no say in this court, I'm afraid."

_Not yet._ "You're right, I don't… but I can make you an offer that's beyond your wildest imagination."

-

He triumphantically walked into his chambers, briefly touching his guardian's back as he walked by. As always, Ulrich was writing yet again – documents that he knew nothing of, and wasn't allowed to even glance at. Raising himself to sit on the windowledge, he waited for his companion to look up.

"I've got news," he exclaimed brightly. "Someone in this castle, very close to Arthur, is willing to give us a hand, in return for a small compensation."

"Who?" The Lord didn't seem impressed, for no doubt he feared the idea would have no effect whatsoever. When it came to things like this, he always regarded his young ward to be useless and clumsy – a fool.

"Arthur's _other_ servant. Apparently, the man doesn't think he's getting enough credit, Arthur being off with Merlin all the time, and the rage in him has built to a height where he may be of service to us." Grady raised his indexfinger, trying to show up his master by spouting wisdom. "A disgruntled servant is as fierce as a lover scorned."

He wished he hadn't spoken the words when Ulrich's face twisted in agony. He could, after all, count himself to be a member of the latter category. _Damn it, he should have known._ But just like that, the older man's face cleared, and he nodded softly. "You're right." He spoke. "Well done. Has he any news for us?"

"They're going on a hunting trip tonight. Merlin and Arthur – and the knights of Camelot." His eyes shone because of the praise he had been given, and he felt his power build.

"Get yourself invited for the ride." Ulrich raised his eyebrows in a meaningful way. " I have a feeling it is going to be an interesting trip."

-

Merlin

His eyes bore in the back of Grady's head, not a single detail missed. Sure, he had told Arthur that is wasn't necessary to _not_ trust his cousin, but the truth was that if the guardian was involved, the ward may very well be in on the scheme. Telling Arthur that would be a disaster, one he couldn't risk – not now that they'd grown closer again.

Damn it, he hated their hunting trips…The fear of being used as live bait never failed to make his skin crawl in advance. To tell the truth, it didn't happen every time that he was being shoved into the direction of a potentially dangerous animal, but the times it _had_ happened had never ended in a success. He either nearly fainted at the sight of the prey or stepped on a branch and spooked it, followed by Arthur hitting him on the head. The headaches afterwards were a nightmare.

He tied the reigns of his horse around a thick branch and stroked its neck. "I guess I'll see you later," he whispered, before relunctantly following the group of men further into the woods.

"Merlin!"

He trotted to the head of the group, taking his position by Arthur's side – weasling himself between the two cousins – and spoke. "Alright, I'm here." "Don't panic," he added with a grin. _There, Grady, you're not the only important friend in the top ranks._

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Just give me the crossbow," he murmured. "And stay close."

The group advanced in formation, not noticing that one of the knights that normally held a background position, now took second row. Out of nowhere, he put a hand on Merlin's shoulder, scaring him.

"Meeerlin!" Arthur drawled angrily, cursing his servant for not _shutting up_. "Will you shut up? You'll spook things." His eyes flashed as a memory came to him. "Like you did the _last time._"

Grady chuckled in satisfaction, and Merlin felt his dislike of the man growing by the second. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "Just scared me, is all." He turned to the knight with a questioning look on his face, and the man responded by putting a finger to his lips and motioning for him to wait until the rest of them had left.

Merlin nodded and stayed where he was, awaiting the man's next words.

-

Arthur

He silently advanced deep into the forest, proud of himself for not even making a single twig crackle underneath his movements. Over the years, had learned to walk soundless, something _someone_ still needed to master.

Their prey came into sight. A large deer stood in between the ancient oaks, grazing as if he were not being watched. Animals could be so oblivious, so utterly carefree, that it made him envious. Yet he related to the animal - - he was being observed by an enemy, unseen…silent and yet more powerful than the deer could ever defeat on his own.

He probably didn't have anyone to watch out for him.

Positioning the crossbow so the arrow pointed straight at the animal's flank, he pulled it back with his fingers, determined to kill. The tension was building up inside his own muscles, the sheer thrill of being the dominant one filling up his entire being. But all of a sudden, the weapon fell from his hands, and he gripped his head, trying to control the piercing pain that shot through the entire length of his brain, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Grady's hand pressed against his shoulder, trying to get through the hazy fog that had built inside of him. Arthur shook him off - his cousin wasn't the person he needed around right now, who he really needed by his side was… Arthur's eyes swept their gathering, looking for Merlin. When he didn't see him, panic filled his lungs, the short, forceful stabs making him gasp for air. Pushing himself between the mass of bodies, he stumbled through the weeds. Feverishly, he searched, never finding.

Then a cry filled the woods. And he knew whose it was.

"MERLIN!"

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_So? (bites lip anxiously) Please tell me what you think?_

_Xo, as always!_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N : Hi everybody! Wow, thank you so much for all your kind reviews on the last chapter, and I'm sorry for being a tease and ending with a cliffhanger like that -- Meg, if you're reading this : Look, I've updated! (smiles), I usually do after two days -- This time, no cliffy. I promise. Just a pretty emotional chapter about what happened after the cliffhanger, starting with the prologue and then we return to the time it happened.**

**Anyway, pleaaase tell me what you think? It really really means the world to me! (yeah, the good ol' expression! ^^)**

**Xo, as always**

* * *

[prologue]

He leaned back in his armchair, pressing his body firmly against the fabric, needing to feel some sense of reassurance. The hope, the knowledge, that everything hadn't changed in a final, irreversable way– that some things would always remain the same. His eyes drifted towards the bed, and he pushed the emotion back when he saw the still form laying there. _Merlin would be alright. He had to be._

Clenching his fingers into the armrests, he pushed himself upward and walked over to the bedside. "Merlin, I know you can hear me."

-

Merlin

The knight looked at him, the depth of his eyes portraying pure madness. "Arthur never did like me, did he?"

The sword plunged into his being, and in pure confusion, all he could do was grip the edges of the blade, nearly cutting his hands by trying to pull it out of him. He never found the strength to remove it, but it flew out when the knight prepared himself and landed another blow. This time, the iron tore into his lower belly, and the blood flow only worsened.

Merlin tried to hold a heavy pressure against his chest, pressing his palms onto the open wound, weaving the tips of his fingers together. If Arthur were here, he would throw Merlin his weapon, and he would – no doubt – fail in catching it in one swift movement. Picking it up from the out of the soft moss that covered this entire forest, he would finally be able to save himself.

No _spells_ had prepared him for this battle.

"MERLIN!" In the distance he heard the call, followed by the swift sound of branches being pushed aside. Arthur's presence was comforting, but in a way, it made the panic spread even more. _Oh Lord. If he were gone, what would become of Arthur?_ "SAVE YOURSELF!"

And he understood. Arthur actually _wanted_ him to use his magic – he demanded it. "Arth –" he tried, only to figure out that his voice had left him. All that remained was the intense pain that came before dying.

One hand released the other, and he closed his eyes in concentration. His lips moved silently, and he prayed that the mere whisper would be enough to conquer this enemy. "Arudel yartha melor," he uttered feebly. "Arudel yartha.."

He felt the sword leave him and, weakened from the injuries, fell backwards. Through the small cracks in between his eyelids, he saw the blurry vision of Arthur striking the man down with his bare hands.

Arthur

The minute he had heard the unearthly scream, the fog in his mind had cleared, and there was only one thought left inside of him : he needed to run. Throwing down his weapon, for he knew it would do him no good – he instead reached for his blade that dangled by his side, and ran towards the place they had come from. _Where are you, Merlin?_

When he stumbled upon the sight of one of _his_ knights piercing Merlin with a sword, his blood chilled. The shimmer he had feared had appeared at last, in the form of one of his most trusted men. He charged towards the man, screaming at Merlin to save himself. Though his friend wasn't armed physically, there was one power he possessed. The use of magic was forbidden in his kingdom, if it meant Merlin would live, he would gladly see that rule broken.

Merlin's hand clawed at the air in front of him, his lips moving silently. His body was folded slightly, and Arthur knew he was trying to hang on, but failing miserably. When he reached the pair of them, he was met, blow by blow, by the knight's sword…and he swore that he saw it glow with a power he knew not of. His sword flying, he resorted to his bare hands, clenching them into fists and swinging them at the man's face. When he finally fell, his own hands were smeared with dirt – and his chest was heaving. But that didn't matter.

"Hold him!" he screamed, motioning towards the agressor, while he went to Merlin's side. Raising his head slightly so he could breathe normally, his hand went to the stabwounds on Merlin's upper body, holding the pressure there. "You're going to be alright."

"A- thur." The word came out through a raspy voice, and blood seeped in a thin line out of the corner of his mouth.

"Shut up, you idiot." Arthur scolded lightly. "And hold on." Grasping Merlin by his knees and back, he lifted him from the ground, feeling his heart sink when Merlin didn't even have the strength to cling to him. "Follow behind, hold him captive," he instructed the other knights. "But wait a while. We must be out of sight before you mount the horses."

He raised Merlin to sit on the saddle, and seated himself behind him, holding the broken body to his chest as they returned to the castle.

-

"Alert Gaius, the court physician." The guard immediately obeyed the prince's command when he saw the state his companion was in, the sound of falling feet echoing over the courtyard. Merlin mumbled quietly, and Arthur felt lost, not knowing whether it was best to lay him down or keep him seated upright. He opted for the last one, having Merlin lean against him so the blood kept on flowing from the sky to the ground. "You're alright," he said. "We'll fix you."

"Merlin!" Gaius' cry was one of pure agony, seeing the boy who he had come to love as his own son dirtied by his own blood. He ran towards them, immediately checking for a pulse, the panic making it hard for him to think straight.

"He's still alive," Arthur set him at ease. "But I don't know for how long."

Gaius nodded, his lips drawn into a thin line. "I hope these are merely iron induced wounds." Casting Arthur a meaningful glance, an understanding passed between them. It was at that moment that the dragon's words first reappeared in his memory._ The use of dark magic will make his chances of survival slim. _Had the dark magic already been used on him, or was it just a prequel to whatever would happen next?

His eyes hardened. _No._ They weren't giving up this easily. Merlin had fought for him time and time again, saving his life. It was time he returned the favor.

-

Arthur sat in his armchair, staring at Merlin's still form. The stains of red on the once white sheets made the colour drain from his face. He pushed himself upwards, walking towards where his friend was laying, and perched himself on the side of the bed.

"Merlin," he began, "I know you can hear me." After all, when the young boy had been poisoned, he had _seen_ the dangerous situation Arthur was in – and the pain he had experienced in the woods when Merlin was being attacked, told him that the dragon was right. They were connected. Inexplicably so. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, because you are familiar with things I don't know anything about, but I will say this : if you can save _me_ when I am miles away, you can at least have the decency to save yourself, now."

Merlin's chest rose and fell with his breathing, but the movement was small, and irregular. Arthur cleared his throat. "I'm not leaving you until you get better. So stop being annoying and wake up."

-

Grady

"It worked." He beamed, the stars dancing in his eyes. "I don't know what you did, Ulrich, but it worked. The sorceror was in the worst state I've ever seen _anyone_ in, and I have a feeling he will soon pass away because of the injuries he suffered. Arthur should be easy now, shouldn't he?"

His guardian's face was grim, the dark colour of black stone. "You know not of Emrys' power. I don't think we should congratulate ourselves before the battle is won."

"You speak of battle as if there is a long, tedious road ahead of us." Grady huffed disbelievingly. "Have we not worked hard enough? Have _I_ not suffered enough through all the deaths I've witnessed?"

"You're young," Ulrich spoke to him. "It shows in everything you do: this foolish mentality of recklessness."

"I'm old enough to know what I can do." Grady defended himself. "And the only reason _you're _here is because I allow you to be. Don't forget that."

Superiority flashed in the older man's eyes. "The only reason you are _alive_ is because I walk beside you." He took up his pen and put it to the paper, the words seemingly flowing from his fingers. "Don't ever try to patronize me again. You have seen what _I _can do."

Grady jutted his chin stubbornly, but remained silent. If Ulrich wanted to act that way, it was fine by him, for _he_ would be the one crowned King, and not his guardian. He would have an army under his command, and the power to burn people at the stake if he ever thought them to be guilty of treachery. He already knew who would go first.

As if reading his mind, Ulrich's eyes suddenly snapped towards him, and a devious smile appeared around his lips. Oh, he planned on sticking around for a long while yet.

-

Arthur

Morgana and Gwen burst into the room, not even bothering to knock. _"Merlin, do you remember that conversation we had about knocking?"_

"We heard," Morgana explained, her brogue heavy in the words she spoke. "How's Merlin?"

Gwen stood a few inches behind, her bottomlip quivering when her eyes found the person in question. "Oh God," she whispered. "Is he going to be alright?" Her steps were measured and controlled when she neared them, but he saw her knees buckle when she sank onto the bed and grasped Merlin's hand.

"I think we just need to believe in the man _he _is inside." He told them, hinting at the faith Gwen had had when he had been the one laying there unconscious, "Because I think he is much stronger than we give him credit for."

Gwen sobbed quietly. "When we first met," she whispered, "he told me he was _in disguise._"

Morgana lay a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Maybe he is…" she said. "We just need to have faith. Take turns watching him."

Arthur shook his head, shooting her a glance. "You don't need to. I'm the one who failed him, I'm the one who's keeping watch."

He could tell the comment surprised them, even if it only showed on their faces for a split second. They recovered quickly. "How's Gaius taking this?"

Arthur sighed. "He's a mess – I think that he'd forever blame himself if he didn't find a way to fix him."

"You mean like you would?" _Damn it_, sometimes he hated the fact that Morgana seemed to read him so well. "You don't fool me, Arthur. I know how much he means to you."

He laughed the comment away. "Well, a half-decent servant is hard to find." Looking at Gwen's tear-stained face, he tried to reassure her as best he could. "Gwen, he's going to be alright."

"You have to be," she told Merlin, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "We need you. All of us."

-

Late that evening, his father stormed into his chambers, his face twisted in anger. "Your cousin told me why you weren't at supper tonight," his voice was low, threatening. "If you think I'm going to let you neglect your duties because your servant ran himself into a sword, you have another thing coming."

Arthur jumped from the windowledge, his anger rising. "_Ran himself into a sword? _How dare you."

"I am not having this conversation with you again, Arthur. You will finally listen to what I have to say, or I will throw you in the dungeons for a month and have your _friend _" he spoke the word with venom in his tone, making the loathing even more powerful, "banished from the realm, never to return again."

"Yeah? Well if he leaves, so will I." The words amazed even himself, but it was the only way to make sure Merlin stayed where he was. He sighed, knowing that his father was not to be trifled with at a time like this. He couldn't afford to be locked up, not with everything that was going on at the moment. "I'm sorry, father. All I'm asking for is a few days – after that, I swear to you that I will not abandon my duties again."

Uther shook his head, not understanding what it was about this servant that made him so important to Arthur. His son had always been a people – person, had more friends than could be counted on ten fingers, but never once had he been so protective of a man before. "You have until tomorrow evening." He eventually said. "If I don't see you at dinner, there will be hell to pay."

When he left, Arthur turned to his servant with a small smile : " Well, you heard _his majesty_, Merlin. You 've got 24 hours."

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_So? What did you think? Pleaaaaase tell me? (see, I didn't end it with a cliffy, eh?) I promise to post the next chapter as soon as possible!_

_XO, as always!_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N : Wow, you guys, thank you so much for the reviews I've received on the last chapter... And - hehe - I'm so sorry, apparently I DID end with a cliffy the last time... but what can I say, I thought it was considerably less cliffy than the one before that, so I didn't think it would fall under the same category. And well, I know there's a lot of suspense in this story sometimes, so I guess it comes with the turf.**

**Anyway, please let me know what you think of this chapter? Because you're the best readers a gal could hope for when you do! (hey, that was a different line, yay! Next time, I'll bribe you with virtual cookies - wink - )**

**Xo, as always!**

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Arthur

His eyes fluttered open at the sound of someone entering, and when his vision had cleared from sleep, he could distinguish Gwen lingering near the door, her back resting against it. "Any change?"

He shook his head, wishing he were able to give her another answer. Every time she had asked, he had been the one to deliver the bad news, and though she should have gotten used to it by now, he could still see the heartbreak on her face. "No. My father has come to renew his threat, but still…nothing has changed since last night."

"I've found something," she whispered, afraid that even the walls would have grown ears and that every spoken syllable could be discovered. She moved into the direction of his dining table and set down the heavy book she had been clutching, thankful to be delivered from the burden. Arthur cast a glance at Merlin before joining her, leaning over her shoulder to read the words she pointed out to him. "_Ulrich_ was his mother's maiden name," she explained, turning her head to look him in the eye. "His parents were executed for the use of dark sorcery years ago, but no one ever knew what happened to him." She quivered. "It's him, Arthur – he's the one doing all this."

Breaking the gaze, Arthur sighed. He nodded once, decidedly, and turned away. "Aren't you going to do something about it?"

"I wish I could." He placed his forehead against the window, thankful for the cold air, for it made him feel collected and poised. It made the crop of emotion sink back to where it had come from. "But there's nothing I _can_ do."

"You're the prince, you can do anything!" She urged him. "You can make sure everyone knows it's him who did this to Merlin.. the one who's trying to bring _you_ down, as well!" Her chest was rising and falling in a hurried rhythm, her excitement and desperation too great to hold inside.

"Like I did when Valiant used magic to slay the knights?" He shook his head. "Look how that turned out." _You humiliated me!_ The images were there again, in every cell of his being, the way they usually were. Now that Merlin was ill, his own flaw of not being able to forget was more apparent than ever. Every time they had fought. Every time he had ever doubted his friend. He hated it. _I need a servant I can trust. – You CAN trust me! _

"We're powerless without any proof." His cold fingers travelled across his face, trying to hide it from her sight. He didn't like not being in control, not being able to bend reality his way and save the world or fix it.

"So you're willing to let Merlin die before you show him for what he truly is?" Her voice had risen, and he didn't know if it was because she was angry with him, or because she felt just as inadequate as he did. "He's our friend, Arthur." She exclaimed. "We need to do this for him."

"Listen," he snapped, "I want him to wake up as much as you do. But if we don't have any proof, there is no way out!"

Gwen broke out in a smile. "I know you do." Noticing the circles under his eyes, the weak light of the lamp on the bedside table finally revealing them to her, she walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You need to get some rest, Arthur. Remember that he felt _you_ were in danger, as well."

"I knew he was in danger." It was a broken whisper to leave his mouth, his lips moving apart only slightly. "I should have looked out for him better. It's my fault he's like this."

Gwen laughed softly. "Sometimes, you can be a real idiot, Arthur Pendragon." He turned to her, and she raised her eyebrows to accentuate her statement, little lights dancing in her own teasing eyes. "You couldn't have prevented this – he would have found a way to do this anyway. Unless you wanted to guard Merlin all the time, day and night – sitting beside his bed like a puppy. We both know that was out of the question."

He exhaled heavily, his body shaking with the movement. Her hand followed it, but noticing that fact, she carefully withdrew it. Instead, she reached for the damp cloth to ease Merlin's fever. "Hi," she whispered to him. "We're getting you out of this mess."

-

Leaving Gwen to tend to Merlin, Arthur ventured down to the caves again, his fingernails digging into the torch he held. The wooden stick resisted his grip, and met it with stubborn solidness. It felt good somehow, the little pain shooting through his hand.

"You need to tell me what to do." He screamed into the silence. "There _HAS_ to be something I can do!"

The dragon landed in front of him, no less majestic than the time before, but this time there was a sadness all around him, and Arthur had a feeling that didn't bode too well for them. "Our prince has returned," the dragon greeted him. ".. in times when the darkness closes in on us, pressing our backs against the wall."

He bent his head, blowing out a large breath. "I'm afraid there's little we can do for him," he said, "but wait by his side. Whatever the dark lord planned for him is not yet finished."

"I'm trying." Arthur defended himself. "My father…"

"Your father is many things, one of them unreasonable when it comes to magic. You must never let him find out about the true nature of your servant," the dragon warned him. "For I fear that if you do, both your and Merlin's destiny alike will change in unthinkable ways."

As if he had been thinking about telling his father. _Really._ "It's not that –" he continued. "My presence is demanded at dinner this evening, he won't listen to my pleas of staying behind to guard Merlin."

"He must not be left alone," His eyes spoke of knowledge, the knowledge that something would happen if Merlin was left unguarded. "But you must also watch out for your own, young Pendragon. Lord Ulrich and his protegé will not stop until they have accomplished what they came here to do."

His face fell. So his cousin was really in on it, as well. Everything that had happened between them in the last few days, all the laughs and talks and jokes, had been a lie. Sensing his distress, the magical creature continued his prognosis. "Grady Dumare has lived an unfortunate life, making him bitter and conceited, a slave to his own desires. Your relation to him means nothing in his eyes, yet it means everything."

Arthur sighed, annoyed. "I thought you'd finally stopped with the riddles."

A low laugh rumbled through the emptiness. "You'll see what I mean shortly enough, Arthur Pendragon. Until then, you must beware. Your lives depend on it."

-

Grady

Grady Dumare sat on his bed, the pillow propped up behind his back so he could rest easily, and looked up when his guardian entered, the dark cloak flowing behind. "Tonight." The man said, and excitement welled up inside the young boy.

"Have you arranged everything, then?" At Ulrich's soft nod, his smile started to spread. "Well, great! And the prince?"

"He will be joining us for supper." Ulrich reassured him. "Our good friend Uther made sure of that."

"Once there," he continued, "you must make sure he eats, for I will be in my chamber, taken ill." His lips curled upwards in a thin, bitter smile. "When this day is over, we will reign, my child. The true kings of Camelot will rise again."

-

Grady walked to the great hall, his step light and happy. His expression changed abruptly when he ran into Arthur, looking distrought. He had to admit that for a moment, he had been scared for his cousin when he had doubled over in pain back in the woods – if Arthur had died back then, their plan would have to be altered, and if there was anything the young Dumare couldn't deal with, it was the changing of well prepared plans. It made him panicky and scared.

"Arthur," he greeted his cousin, trying to sound a sympathetic as he possibly could. "How's Merlin doing?"

Arthur's brow furrowed in confusion, as if the comment had pulled him out of some sort of daze. So it was true, then : Arthur cared for his servant a great deal, and the fact that he was ill ate away at him. Grady cared little for either of them.

"Still no change," Arthur replied calmly, the answer broken up by the raspy sound of his voice. He cleared his throat. "But we expect him to recover soon." He said, his spirit combative. Arthur was fighting his own mind, Grady supposed, keeping his hopes up.

He placed a hand on the other man's lower arm. "I hope so, Arthur. I'll be praying for him."

Arthur

He was disgusted by the way his relative was acting : trying to bring them down and then actually having the _nerve_ to pretend as if he cared. He felt the need to push the lower arm his cousin was currently touching, against the man's throat, holding him captive against the wall and demanding his guardian cured Merlin.

But he couldn't. He was reminded of Merlin's advice to keep a low profile and not to let the enemy know that he was on to something, for it would only endanger him even further. So he smiled at his cousin, muttered a soft thanks and continued towards his own chambers, where a solemn Gwen was waiting for him. "Still nothing," she sighed, her hand firmly in Merlin's, trying to keep him close.

"I know," Arthur said to her. "And I'm afraid it might get worse before it gets better. Someone needs to be here at all times, Gwen - it's not yet over for him." He sat down beside her, then mockingly raised his finger, as if he only now thought of it. "Oh, and apparently my cousin is the enemy, too."

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I know you wished for him not to be involved in this." Gwen spoke softly. Through everything that had happened to Merlin, the bond between them had seemed to grown stronger, and he now considered her a friend. Besides, she was like Merlin, in a way : not afraid to call him on it when he was being wrong, while still treading carefully.

He smiled and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Thank you. You should get back to your chores," he reprimanded her playfully, his eyes widening, "we'll need you to look after him in the future, but for now I can do it."

-

"So, I went to see your uncle again." He took a breath, hoping he wasn't futily talking to himself out here, and when his other servant walked in, he fell completely silent, apart from thanking the boy for the water he had brought.

"…and anyway, he said it's not over yet, so we've still got to be careful." He drew his chair closer to the bed and leaned his arms on the mattress, his fingers inches away from the almost motionless body. "You were right," he continued softly. "Grady isn't to be trusted." _And I'm sorry I ever doubted you._ His head fell, his chin bouncing against his collarbone.

"Damn it, Merlin – can't you just give me _anything_? This time, you're the one being a prat, leaving me stranded like this." He chuckled for a moment, raising his gaze again, staring at Merlin's eyes, hoping they would magically open. "Is there anything I can do?"

"A-thur.." The broken sound seemingly came out of nowhere, and he hadn't even seen his friend's lips move, yet there was no way that the voice had been anyone else's.

He held his breath, afraid that he might have imagined it. "Merlin?" he questioned, gripping his fingers for the first time since Merlin had fallen in the forest. "Merlin, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand."

-

Gaius entered the room a while later, and when he saw the small smile around Arthur's lips, a heavy pressure came to rest apon his heart. The one thing he couldn't afford right now was getting his hopes up and in the end losing Merlin anyway. The world spun on its axis when the prince told him that Merlin had actually said his name.

"It was only for a split second, but it swear to you that I didn't just imagine it." Arthur exclaimed, beaming. "He can hear us, Gaius."

"Merlin, is that true?" Walking over to where his foster son was laying, Gaius wiped his brow and clutched his hand. "Can you hear me?"

Arthur smirked. "I've tried that as well, but the stubborn idiot _just won't squeeze_, isn't that right, Merlin?" He drawled the name slowly, poking fun at his unconscious friend.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Gaius. He's getting there, I can tell. But you must stay with him for a while, because.." he stood, retrieving his dirty jacket from the floor, and put it on. He shivered. The jacket hadn't been cleaned since yesterday, and the dried up stains of blood made him cringe. He hurriedly changed to a different one and gave the old man one last smile. "It's time for dinner. Don't let anyone but you and Gwen near him. He needs us."

-

His hunger had subsided the minute he entered the great hall, where he was seated across from his cousin, who was happily chatting with his father, as if there was nothing wrong, nothing at all.

"For heaven's sake, Arthur, if you don't cheer up I will have the edges of your mouth tied to a chord and have someone yank it." His father warned him. _Great_, as if there weren't enough phonies around this table, now he would have to join their little club.

"Of course, father," he amended, plastering a fake smile on his face and ignoring the encouraging wink from Grady.

"Grady," he questioned, "where might your guardian be this evening?"

His father interrupted him, throwing him a look that suggested he was being rude by posing the question so abruptly, and with such a hard demeanor. "Lord Ulrich sent his formal apologies, he wasn't feeling too well."

"Oh," Arthur said sympathetically. "Well, we'll be praying for him, too."

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_So? What did you think? pleaaaaase tell meeeeeeh!_

_Xo, as always!_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N : Hi Guys, I'm back with another chapter, and awww - the story is nearing its end. There will probably be one more chapter after this one, but I'm guessing that will be it - - though fear not! I might come up with other stuff!**

**Please please tell me what you think of this chapter? It means the world to me! It really really really does! Pretty please?**

**Xo, as always**

* * *

[Prologue : Gaius]

He wiped at Merlin's brow, praying for the fever to finally lessen, for that had not been the case ever since he had first looked upon the broken body. Pulling the heavy, _royal_ blankets away to examine the wounds, he touched Merlin's arm briefly in passing, cursing himself when the face he had seen so very often constricted in pain.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, hoping that Arthur was right and that Merlin could hear them. It occurred to him that maybe the boy only listened when Arthur was speaking, knowing the connection between the two of them. Still, it wouldn't stop him from trying to get through to him as well. "You have to get better, Merlin. Arthur needs you. Your destiny is too great for you to give up like this."

He was startled by the sound of someone running down the hallway, and the door being yanked open, the out of breath servant Arthur kept 'on the side' motioning for him to come, panic written on his face. "Something's wrong with the King." Belior said. "You must come at once!"

Gaius sprang from his chair, nodding fervently. Though Uther's methods were somethimes a little harsh, the King respected his physician, and the feeling was mutual. "Stay with him –" Gaius spoke, motioning to where Merlin was laying, still unconscious. "I will return as soon as I can."

When the door closed beside him, Belior took heavy, leaden steps to where his nemesis was laying, and he smiled wickedly. "It's time you and I settle this once and for all, Merlin. It's time people understand you had it coming to you all along."

-

Arthur

He didn't know how it had happened, but when it did, his eyes immediately sought out his cousin, looking for the slightest indication that he had anything to do with what was going on. The small, almost unnoticeable smile lasted for a mere second, but it was proof enough. _Bastard._ He felt the need to lean forward and simply chop his head off, but right now, his father needed his assistance.

"Father.." Standing up, he went to Uther to slap him on the back – get whatever it was out of his system, but his father proudly held up his hand. Damn stubborn idiot. Arthur called for his servant, that he had insisted come with him tonight – if anything would be going down, he would be able to delegate, at least. "Call for Gaius, he's in my room. Go!"

When the physician arrived, it wasn't merely his father that was in need of assistance, anymore. Arthur's own throat felt as if it were closing off all air supply, and his whole body started to convulse. His fingers felt paralysed and tingled with numbness, the poison spreading through his system. He fought it – harder than he had ever fought anything in his life, and though he felt himself growing weaker by the second, his spirit had never been more eager to fight.

His cousin gripped the back of his neck, pressing his rough digits into the tender flesh there. "The rightful kings will live again," he whispered, his voice filled with pure disdain. "And the murderers of pure innocence will crumble to the ground."

"I'm not letting you do this." Arthur swung his head upwards, knocking it into his cousin's, making him cry out in pain. Blood trickled from his nose, falling on Arthur's dirty blonde hair, but Grady merely chuckled. "It's not that easy, ratbrain."

_So you have been outwitted by a rat?_ Merlin jumped into his thoughts, and a single shock shot through his body – if _he_ was being attacked, there was a good chance Merlin was in danger as well. His anger surged and his fist flew at Grady's features, rendering him unconcious. Yet it was impossible to know how long this state would last.

That was when he heard it. The clear, chrystal sound inside his head of a man crying out. '_Arthur._' Merlin's voice had never sounded closer, or more scared. '_They're here.'_ Arthur nodded, momentarily forgetting that his friend couldn't see him. Momentarily forgetting that Merlin was laying in his bed, constantly on the brink of peril.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bench with all the strength he could muster, he had never felt more relieved when Gwen suddenly lay his arm around her shoulder.

"Lean on me." She said.

He swallowed, hard. "Get me to my room," he ordered her. "Merlin's in danger."

-

He opened the door, his sword drawn, yet held in a heavily shaking hand. He hated this state of vulnerability, especially at a time like this, when several lives were at stake. "Whatever you're doing, you will stop it immediately, or you will die at my hand."

Lord Ulrich turned around, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I was only checking on the patient, sire – I mean no harm." When Arthur noticed his own servant standing by the bedside, a feverish anger in his eyes, it dawned on him how deep Ulrich's operation ran – _his_ servant was betraying him for a mere stranger. Arthur had tried to show the man nothing but kindness, but it seemed it had all been in vain. _Great._

Arthur charged forward, pressing the blade against Ulrich's throat, the iron sighing with the action. There was no steadiness in the threat, and his enemy noticed this as well. "Maybe you should lay yourself down beside your friend, your highness, you're not looking to well."

"I'm strong enough to kill you." Trying his hardest to stand tall, Arthur pressed the tip into Ulrich's flesh, making a small cut near the man's right ear.

"And if he isn't, we sure as hell are." Morgana walked into the room confidently, passed a sword to Gwen and held a battle stance, her sword pointing directly at the lord's heart. "Arthur, you need to eat this," she walked around him, waiting for him to open his mouth so she could place the leaf on his tongue. "Gaius says it will help against the poison."

Ulrich gasped unconvincingly. "O no, has someone tried to poison my lord?"

Arthur raised his knee and landed a blow into his opponent's stomach, making him fall to the floor. "Here's what's going to happen," he lightly said, "you are going to get up and undo whatever it is that's happened to Merlin – and you and your sad, pathetic protegé will be leaving the realm or be executed." He cocked his head angrily, already experiencing the healing effect of the herbal antidote. "I haven't made my mind up yet."

Reaching down, he grabbed the man by his collar, hauling him up. But apparently, his victim had already been prepared for that, because when he was lifted, his hand went over Arthur's heart, holding a steady pressure there and muttering in a strange language. "Joustior arechna solian re."

Arthur flew backwards, his chest heaving in pain, his heartrate slowing and his eyelids dropping. But then another voice filled the room – or was it merely his head? – and he felt the pain ease, his breathing return to normal. He lay still against the ground but raised his head slightly, staring at the bed in wonder. Merlin's hand was resting outstretched above the covers, but his lips hadn't moved – and neither Gwen nor Morgana seemed the least bit unnerved, so they must not have heard. Arthur was grateful for that, because at the end of the day, the less people knew about Merlin, the better.

He went to stand again, grinning at the man who brought the darkness and was now pinned under the girls' swords. Ulrich nodded slightly. "He's good." He amended, his tone holding a trace of respect.

Arthur smiled. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." He raised his eyebrows playfully, before furrowing them together darkly. "I want you to fix Merlin over there. Now." He articulated clearly, making sure every word spoken was completely understood.

"What did you do to Grady?"

"Let's just say your _wild child _will be suffering a headache for a while, but after that he should be fine." He could have done worse things to his cousin, but at the moment all that mattered was being okay and saving the one person who always came through for him. For what felt like the millionth time today, he motioned towards the subject in question, and ordered his prisoner to heal him.

Ulrich closed his eyes in thought, before sighing. "There's going to be a price to pay.."

"I don't see where you get off making demands."

Ulrich took a slight step back, immediately copied by Gwen and Morgana. His greying hair now pressed against the wall, he held up his hands in a silent plea. "All I'm asking is that Grady be left alive. I don't care what you do to me, but he doesn't deserve to die because I raised him to think of evil."

"I'll see what I can do, but not until you heal Merlin."

"Sure, but you will have to call off your dogs so I can go near him." He glanced towards the girls, and Arthur signaled at them that it was okay to step aside. Sure, there was no guarantee that they could trust Ulrich _now_, but Arthur felt that he truly cared about Grady, and that the young boy who was four years his senior was reason enough for his guardian to give in.

"Irene andayla myandi." A soft glow flowed from his hands, the light travelling across Merlin's body. It reflected into their eyes, small stars dancing in the darkness. When all of it had faded, it seemed there was no change, and Arthur felt the deafening burden of failure fall upon him.

"Why isn't anything happening?" His voice had risen, his shoulders tense. One of the girls lay her hand upon his back in comfort, but he had nor the strength, nor the desire to turn around and figure out which one of them it was. "WHY isn't he waking up?" As he raised his sword anew, Ulrich hurried to explain.

"It takes time," he told the small, anxious crowd. "he needs medical care, also – you should tell Gaius to prepare a tincture made of the leaf of small aureis flowers, and give it to him twice a day. He'll wake up in no time."

Laying his hand against Merlin's chest one final time, he managed to whisper a final statement before the guards came in to pull him away. "Goodbye, Emrys."

-

(three days later)

The straw puppet stood tall in the open field, never bending with the wind, for there was none today. It was a slow, heated morning, and the sun was blaring against his face. Raising the crossbow to shoulderheight, he aimed his shot and took it, content when the whirring of the arrow resulted in a headwound.

"Arthur…"

He jumped, nearly dropping the weapon on his toe, or worse – spinning around and pointing it at her. "Guinevere, don't ever do that again." He turned around to face her and granted her a small smile. "What is it?"

"He's awake, Arthur – Merlin's awake."

-

He walked into his own bedroom, the mattress he himself had been sleeping on laying untidy next to the bed, and cocked his eyebrow at the small figure sitting up (finally!), who was looking at him with a small smile.

"So," Arthur began, letting his fingers drum against the wooden door. "some foolish girl nearly got herself killed trying to make sure I knew you were up again."

"Oh, yeah." Merlin grinned back at him. "Girls do lots of crazy things where I'm concerned." He rolled his eyes, indicating the contrary was true. "How are you?"

Arthur sighed, shaking his head in wonder. "_You're_ the one who nearly died, Merlin. I was just a bit poisoned."

"You make it sound like an adventure."

"Well," Arthur quipped. "I _did _enjoy the peace and quiet, for a change." He came to sit on the edges of the bed, his expression changing from carefree to worried. "Are you alright?"

Merlin nodded, sipping the cup of soup Gwen had brought him, his eyes sparkling above the rim of the earthen bowl. "I'm fine, I'll be up and running again in a few days."

Sighing, he added. "I'll have my work cut out for me. Your room's a mess. Honestly, Arthur – can't you do _anything_ without me?"

Arthur punched him in the arm, making Merlin's mouth fall open in a silent 'ow'.

"Shut up, Merlin. Eat your soup."

* * *

_Oh, pleaaaase tell me what you think? Pleaaase tell me if you liked it?_

_Xo, as always!_


	10. Author's Note

**Author's note : to be deleted when the next chapter is posted…**

Dear _everyone who has read this story so far and is very awesome,_

I know I promised another chapter to this story, and believe me – there is one on the way! But I have to warn you : due to my leaving for vacation tomorrow (yay!) I won't come up with it very soon… Meaning… next friday. Gah! I'm very sorry to leave you hanging like this (although things are pretty wrapped up, I'm not so mean as to leave you with a cliffhanger, eh? – smiles – )

However, this might cheer you up a bit : I'm currently also working on a new Merlin story in my head, and I'll probably be working on that baby on my trip. Once again, there'll be lots of Merlin/Arthur friendship bits and nice talks, some Merlin/Gwen friendship and maybe Arthur/Gwen friendship thrown in the mix, and OH! Some Gaius, as well. It'll also feature a mystery guest (that's the one who'll be stirring things up a bit).

If you'd like to be kept in the loop on that story, you can always PM me, and I'll send you an e-mail, or a PM of my own when the next chapter is up, or you can put me on author alert.

Guys, sorry about leaving you stranded. I wish I could update tomorrow, but I'm waaay too busy packing! (sigh)

Xo, as always, and I'll talk to you soon. Promise.

*throws hearts around while dancing in the direction of her suitcase*  
You guys are awesome.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N : Hey you guys! Okay, so I'm back from my vacation, and I finally wrote this last chapter, trying to make it as perfect as I could... You can't imagine the sadness I feel departing from this story. It has been my world for some time now. I think I might cry. (I'm such a wuss, and even more obsessed since I can hear Arthur saying in my head : "Don't be such a _girl_, Merlin." Although, I AM a girl, so maybe he'll forgive me - - grin - -)**

**Anyway, as always, please please tell me what you think, because not only has this story meant the world to me, but YOUR reviews made that world all shiny and beautiful! Yay!**

**Xo, as always**

* * *

Arthur

The grey rock moved swiftly along the silver, and when sunlight momentarily caught the blade in its warm rays, a flash of gold gleamed next to his hands. His movements were steady and controlled, an easy rhythm that kept on repeating itself. His mind, on the other hand, was going a million miles an hour. The betrayal was still so fresh, the bitterness in his mouth still acutely there. He hadn't known _what_ to do with his cousin, so until he passed his judgement, Grady resided behind locked doors.

The shuffling of feet should have scared him, especially after everything that had happened – he clearly remembered the moment where everything had fallen apart, the ache inside of him, and the voice calling out – but it didn't. For he knew that tread.

"Are you trying to steal my job?" The grin spread across Merlin's face as he came to sit beside him, and Arthur smirked.

"What, and become _my own_ servant?" His mouth twitched. "Not in a million years."

"Here," Merlin prodded, holding out his hand and reaching for the nearly sharpened blade. "Let me." Who knew there'd come a time when he actually volunteered to do Arthur's chores. But after everything, he was glad to do it.

The sword was passed swiftly, and still no anxiety was evident in Arthur's conduct. Nevertheless, he was quite sure the man sitting next to him could see right through him. "Something bothering you?" His companion casually threw out, never tearing his gaze away from his task, knowing it would be easier for Arthur to reply without heavy, questioning eyes staring him down.

"I thought I might go and see my cousin today." He inwardly cringed. _'I thought I might'_.. the incertainty in that statement made a coward out of him, and if there was one thing he couldn't afford to be, it was precisely that. Clearing his throat, he revised his sentence. "I'm going to see my cousin today."

"I'll come with you."

"No." His head snapped in Merlin's direction, instinctively. He hadn't even made up his mind to do it before he had. "I need to do this on my own."

"Arthur, I want to see him. He nearly _killed _me, or have you forgotten?"

He flinched. Of course he hadn't forgotten, and he supposed he never would. The pure helplessness that had come over him had been unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and the mere idea that Merlin might die, laying still in the prince's own, bloodstained bed, was unbearable. The fact that his friend now casually threw out a question such as this stung, a bit.

"Of course I haven't." He closed his eyes in thought. Taking Merlin with him to see Grady would only be fair to him, but somehow he didn't trust the situation where the three of them would stand in the same room. He wanted to spare Merlin the possible pain his cousin's words might cause. God, he himself hadn't been able to let the angry, hurled words slip from his mind for a second. _The murderers of pure innocence will crumble to the ground._

He raised himself from the stone bench where they sat, side by side, and touched a hand to Merlin's shoulder. "Let's get this over with."

-

Merlin

The eyes that glared at them from behind the iron bars were filled with pure hatred, and still he didn't understand why anyone thought Arthur would deserve something like this. He didn't think Arthur knew himself, though he seemed more steady than a couple of days ago. Maybe he _did_ know. For now, Merlin decided he would stand a little to the side, not wanting to interrupt the talk he knew Arthur needed to have with his prisoner, but still there when he was needed.

"I see you've settled in," Arthur ventured forward, his seemingly confident steps hollow on the stone.

Merlin felt torn between sighing at Arthur's prat-ishness, or allowing himself to smile at the sarcasm in the statement. The latter would, no doubt, spark their prisoners rage, so he kept it to himself, curious as to how the conversation would continue.

"Enjoying the sight, are you?" Grady spat. "Enjoy it while it lasts, _my prince_." He bowed, spitting to the ground before Arthur's feet when his head moved down.

"Grady…" Arthur's jaw clenched. "I still don't understand what I ever did to you."

"You _murdered _her." The voice was shrill, high pitched to the point where it didn't even seem to be his, anymore. "You know you did."

"That's NOT true!" Merlin leaped forward, the protectiveness evident in his voice. How _dare_ he pin the lady Ygraine's death on Arthur? What had happened to her was an unfortunate accident, nothing else.

Arthur, however, turned to Merlin in an attempt to silence him, the slightest sign of amusement written on his face. "Hush, Merlin."

"Yes, wizard boy, keep away from things that you don't understand."

"Hey!" Arthur whirled around, pointing a menacing finger at his cousin. The meaning behind it was so clear, and Merlin felt a warmth spread inside of him. Arthur was protecting him, as well. The word wizard hadn't even made him flinch, this time. Yet Merlin was grateful that the room was empty except for the three of them, for even a traitor could expose him.

Sadness overpowered the anger in Arthur's eyes, and Merlin understood that the pain of the words had finally started to cut. "So is that why you were here? To punish me…and my father, for what happened to her?"

Grady's smiled maliciously. "That, and to make sure the true king of Camelot claimed his rightful place on the throne."

"Ah." Arthur started to pace in front of the bars, as if _he_ was the one caged instead of his cousin. When Grady turned to glare at Merlin, he returned it gladly. "And I suppose you think you are that rightful king."

"Yes."

Arthur looked at him again, incredulous. "I can't believe this."

Grady gripped the bars now, clenching and unclenching his fingers violently. "You'll get what's coming to you."

The prince sighed. "So will you. Come on, Merlin. There's nothing we can do."

Before turning away, Merlin took another step towards their agressor. "You didn't bring us down. And you never will." He gave the man a victorious smile. "Remember that."

"Come _on,_ Merlin." Arthur pushed him towards the exit with a small nudge, muttering something about '_always so dramatic._'

-

Merlin neatly folded Arthur's clothes, letting them rest on the bed before he stored them away, letting them enjoy the softness of the underground, that he himself had experienced a few days ago. A smile spread across his face when he remembered how Arthur had kept watch by his side, sleeping on the floor while Merlin slept in his bed.

The sudden cheerfulness hadn't gone unnoticed. Arthur sighed. "What is it, Merlin?"

"Nothing," Merlin lied, knowing that even the slightest truth about what he was thinking would be returned by a snide remark. "I'm just…" he turned to look at his friend, resting against the window, occasionally glancing at the courtyard. "Thank you, Arthur. For what you did."

"Hm." Arthur hummed. "Well, I wasn't fighting the battle on my own, was I?" He raised his eyebrows in a meaningful way, his eyes gleaming with a returned gratefulness.

"No," Merlin smiled. "No, you weren't. Uhm, listen, I know we never really talked about what happened, and I know now may not be the time, but I was wondering..."

Arthur gave him a quick nod. "Well," he took a deep breath, his chest expanding widely, "you're not a half-bad servant, Merlin. Stick around."

"Okay," he said, trying not to let his happiness show. "I suppose I could _endure_ a few more years of this."

"Damn right you could." He paused, and Merlin could tell he was looking for the right words to say, and debating whether or not to speak them out loud. "Merlin – " he eventually said, tilting his head slightly, trying to catch the other man's gaze as best he could. "I trust you."

A short pause followed that statement, while his eyes turned back to the greyish sky. He sighed dramatically. "Anyway …just wanted you to know."

"Oh." Merlin looked interested in the clothes all of a sudden, tucking the sleeves underneath the remaining fabric, the deep burgundy color resembling the blush he felt creeping into his cheeks. "Thank you, ... Arthur."

* * *

_So? Pleaaaase pleaase tell me what you think? If you do, then I'm thinking I might start writing my next story (maybe tomorrow, maybe even tonight! right now, I'll just snuggle up into a couch and watch the Labyrinth of Gedref. Or Morte d'Arthur. Or Moment of Truth. I haven't decided yet!).._

_Oh, and if you were wondering what is/was going to happen to Grady & Ulrich, well - - it would be more likely that Ulrich would be executed because of sorcery, but I don't if I wanted to do that. Grady wouldn't be executed either way, I'd just stick him in prison for a long time, or make him serve as a servant somewhere in Camelot under strict supervision (can you imagine, Grady, who thinks he's fit to be king, sweeping the floors? Hehe.). I'm just going to leave it up to your imagination to give make them serve the sentence you think is best appropriate..._

_Xo, as always! You guys are the best, and I really hope you'll enjoy my next stories! Please continue to let me know! _


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